Show 37 – Mic shootout from $120-$1900; transfer recordings between different formats
This week Jon shares a shootout of 6 vocal condenser mics ranging in price from $120-1900. Ryan explains how to transfer recordings between different formats, from tapes to DAWs.
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Get the files for the mic shootout here:
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1053122/vocal%20mic%20shootout.rar
The mics in the shootout:
* M-Audio Nova
* Audio Technica AT2035
* M-Audio Solaris
* M-Audio Sputnik
* AKG C 414 B-XL II
* Audio-Technica AT4060
Hi Guys,
Thanks for doing the shootout. I always find these things interesting. On first listen in my car, I could not hear much difference between most of the mics. I’ll listen again on my studio monitors and take some guesses as to which mics are which.
Thanks, again.
Dave
Hey,
You should list the names of the mics on the web site here, so folks can guess what they’re listening to after they’ve downloaded the files.
Good call Dave. The post has been updated. There’s more information (basically everything I said in the show) over on my site http://www.audiogeekzine.com/?p=1090
Okay. Here are my thoughts…
A – A favorite
B – Warm. Maybe one of the tube mics
C – This was my top favorite. Most neutral sounding.
D – Probably the cheapest one of the bunch. Too much in the upper mid frequencies
E – Warm. The other tube mic?
F – Good sounding mic, but not my favorite.
I’m curious to know which one is the Sputnik because I was considering buying one at one time.
I love talking to myself!
Would love to get some thoughts from you guys on some tube condensers in the 300 to 1500 range. I’ve put a hefty down payment on a Mojave MA-200 and would love to hear your guys take on this mic compared to others in its range (Nuemann TLM 103, AT 4060, etc). Also, when using this new mic for electric guitar, should I use it as a room mic, since I use a Cascade Fathead for my primary go-to guitar mic? Just wanted to get your thoughts. Love the show!!!! Keep on rockin’.
Jay
Dave, post on the forum and I promise I’ll find someone to talk with you. http://zoomforum.us/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=13072
Hey guys, good show. I wanted to add one thing to the segment about transferring files between DAWs: the “Broadcast Wave” format includes timecode information, so using it for the exported tracks saves the extra steps of having to add silence.
Andrei
I have one of these mics so I can’t wait to find out which was used on which recording. My opinions:
A. Very nice, perhaps my favorite. Very clean,transparent throughout the freq spectrum.
B. quite different from mic A, I had a hard time listening past the rumble.Not terribly impressed with this one.
C. Also very nice. A bit of self noise that I could hear, but being that I don’t know the setup, I’ll give it the benefit of doubt and high marks.Once past the noise it was very pleasing,warm, clear mids as well as highs.
D. Very unpleasing to my ears. Like an earlier post, the upper mids are accentuated and muddy.
E. As well this one didn’t muster my praise. Upper mids again accentuated and lacking above that.
F. Nice, quite nice. different from the rest.Whether that’s good or bad I don’t know, but to my ears I liked it. It colored the recording in a pleasant way.
For me, A and F were my favorites followed by C. I tend to prefer good response in the upper frequencies and don’t mind a bit of color to the sound of the mic.I don’t like a mic that feels gauzy and D as well as E both were deep in gauze!
Well I lost my original notes so I had to listen over again. Here’s my guess;
-The Most Expensive was Mic A
-The Least Expensive was Mic D
-The best sounding for her voice was Mic A
I also liked Mic B for her voice and I also thought Mic F to be on the lower budget end.
Great Podcast Guys!
Hey, if I were currently immersed in writing a book explaining set theory, it would have sounded like that to me too, I’m sure.